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Georgia, Michigan State to meet in Outback Bowl

There won’t be any sugar falling from the sky for the Georgia football team this bowl season, but how about some bloomin’ onion?

The Bulldogs are heading to the Outback Bowl in Tampa, Fla. to play Michigan State on Jan. 2 in a game matching a pair of 10-3 teams.

Georgia Tech (8-4) will face Utah (7-5) in the Sun Bowl on Dec. 31 in El Paso, Texas, South Carolina (10-2) will play Nebraska (9-3) in the Capital One Bowl on Jan. 2 in Orlando, Fla. and Atlantic Coast Conference champion Clemson (10-3) will play Big East co-champion West Virginia (9-3) in the Orange Bowl on Jan. 4 in Miami.

Georgia was eyeing a trip to the Sugar Bowl, but its 42-10 loss to No. 1 Louisiana State University in the SEC Championship game dropped the Bulldogs’ down the bowl pecking order.

“I’m really excited for our team and especially our seniors with the opportunity to play in the Outback Bowl, which is one of the premier January bowl games,” Georgia coach Mark Richt said.

The South Carolina-Nebraska game will be the first meeting between the schools since 1987 and first-ever postseason matchup.

South Carolina is making its fourth consecutive bowl appearance, but it hasn’t won a bowl game since the 2006 Liberty Bowl.

“We hope the senior leadership on this team is a little different and the makeup of this team is a little different (than on the three previous bowl trips),” South Carolina coach Spurrier said. “We have no excuses. We just got our tails beat the last three bowl games, and we’re going to try not to get beat this time.”

Georgia Tech is returning to the Sun Bowl for the first time since 1970.

“Our team is excited for the opportunity to play in the Hyundai Sun Bowl,” Georgia Tech coach Paul Johnson said. “Our players worked hard this season and we’re excited to have another game to play.”